6 Annoying Things I Wish Someone Told Me I'd Have To Do When Moving From Ontario To BC
Here's how I jumped from a G2 to a full B.C. license without taking a test.
Window seat view on flight to Vancouver from Toronto. Right: Sierra Riley standing by a car.
The views expressed in this Opinion article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
I moved from Toronto to Vancouver a couple of years ago, and it honestly feels like I'm still catching up on all that tedious personal admin that comes with an interprovincial move.
Packing up and heading across the country involves a lot of stress, excitement and planning. Parts of it can be fun — finding a place, decorating it, getting to know your community, signing up for a shiny new library card — but there's also usually a mountain of paperwork to attend to.
If you're thinking of getting yourself a permanent address in B.C., here are a few logistical items you shouldn't keep sitting on that to-do list.
Get your health card
You can't just keep on using your old healthcare in B.C. unless it's medically necessary, so you should swap over to B.C.'s Medical Services Plan (MSP) sooner rather than later.
The prescription coverage you get here may vary slightly as well. Look into it, and if you find it's cheaper to get your medication in your current province of residence, ask your pharmacist if you can stock up before heading to B.C.
Change your licence
While I was at the ICBC taking care of all that healthcare business, I was planning on changing my G2 driver's licence from Ontario to the B.C. equivalent. Thankfully, the ICBC agent helping me that day was nice, and they let me know that if I wasn't in a rush to transfer my licence, I could wait until I'd had my G2 for two years.
Once that anniversary arrived, I was able to transfer my G2 to a full N licence in B.C., totally skipping the road test altogether. It was the ultimate life hack.
Speaking of driving, you can only do so with an out-of-province licence for 90 days.
Let the taxman know
The CRA gets mad at you if you don't let them know what's up. Need some extra incentive to get that done? When you change provinces, you become eligible for different tax benefits.
Get yourself an earthquake kit
Vancouver and Vancouver Island are at high risk of having an earthquake – make an earthquake kit, find out where your nearest Disaster Support Hub is and make an emergency plan with everyone you live with.
Get your utilities sorted ASAP
There are essentials you're probably already thinking of — like getting yourself hooked up with BC Hydro, finding the right WiFi package and all that jazz — but don't make unnecessary work for yourself.
Only change your number if you really, really need to. I still use my Toronto number because it wasn't at all worth the hassle to make that switch. I even kept my phone plan the same because it made the most sense for me.
Update your address on literally everything
It seems obvious, but a little reminder never hurt anybody — I seriously underestimated all the change of address forms I'd have to fill out. Think of everyone you get mail from ever (your bank, immigration services, etc.), and let them know where you live.
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